Asian Chicken Pasta Salad
A quick and fresh salad recipe, that is great for lunch, dinner and even meal prep!
Ingredients
The Salad:
- 6 ounces pasta (I prefer Farfalle or Campanelle)
- 2 cups cooked shredded or diced chicken*
- 4 cups green lettuce, chopped (like romaine)
- 1 cups red cabbage, shredded
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds
- 1 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- Chow Mein Noodles or Fried Wonton Strips, optional
The Sesame Dressing:
- 1-2 small cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon ginger, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (white or black)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup canola or light olive oil
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain and cool completely.
- Combine all the dressing ingredients, except the 1/2 cup oil into a medium sized bowl. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking constantly to create an emulsion, once the sugar is dissolved and the oil is completely incorporated you're ready to go! Taste and add more salt if necessary. You can store leftover dressing in the fridge for about a week in an airtight container.
- Add all the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Dress the salad with the desired amount of dressing. To keep the leftovers as fresh as possible I portion out the salad and only dress what will be eaten immediately. This keeps it fresh and crisp for the next meal. Garnish with some more sesame seeds and the Chow Mein noodles or crispy wonton strips.
Notes
*I use my Poached Chicken recipe for this chicken but you can also grill some chicken or even use a store bought rotisserie chicken.
This is a great recipe to make in bulk! Just separate the servings and add the dressing to only what you will eat immediately. Store the remaining salad and dressing separately for up to a week.
The calories listed in this recipe are a general approximation.